Highlights 2011

The OCHA office reopened in December 2010 in response to post-electoral violence and deteriorating humanitarian needs. The office became fully operational immediately after the battle in Abidjan in April 2011. Staff numbers increased from three to 28 within six months.

OCHA reopened its regional office in the western city of Man, creating access to a region that hosted huge numbers of displaced people. It allowed much-needed coordination, as humanitarian operations expanded due to a large influx of agencies.

OCHA established humanitarian-coordination leadership and structures at country and sub-national levels, with defined and approved ToRs.

Working with few staff and resources, the small OCHA team switched its focus from development to emergency. The team drafted a common humanitarian programme cycle (EHAP and CAP) to coordinate needs. They also launched a Flash Appeal at the onset of the crisis, followed by a CERF request for an immediate response to expanding needs.

Following the advocacy efforts by OCHA and the HC, the Minister of State, Minister for Employment, Social Affairs and Solidarity was appointed by the Government to ensure coordination with humanitarian actors.

Key IM products were developed and released immediately. List of contacts, maps, “who does what where” (3W) and other resources were updated weekly and complemented by bulletins, sit reps and other advocacy products. A new website was launched in April to help humanitarian partners share critical information (http://ivorycoast.humanitarianresponse.info).

OVERVIEW 2011

Côte d’Ivoire’s post-electoral crisis began in December 2010. It plunged the country into a situation of armed violence, leading to a humanitarian crisis. As tensions increased and thousands of people fled their homes, there was an urgent need to restore OCHA’s presence. A small-scale office was reopened in December 2010 and fully operational by April 2011.

OCHA and its humanitarian partners faced a hugely problematic situation. At the peak of the crisis in April 2011, over 750,000 people were displaced inside and outside the country. With two competing administrations claiming sovereignty, law and order collapsed, social services became heavily dysfunctional and the working environment was extremely insecure, with rampant looting and widespread abuse by security forces on both sides. The situation was extreme in the west.

The majority of displaced people stayed with host families, a smaller number stayed in formal camps and over 160,000 fled to Liberia. Humanitarian assistance to vulnerable displaced people was an absolute priority.

Coordination became a priority as the crisis led to a large influx of humanitarian actors in a fast-changing situation. OCHA assumed the coordination role following its re-establishment in the country in December 2010. It has continued to focus on an organized and carefully targeted response to delivering humanitarian assistance.

Coordination has included clarifying roles and responsibilities; ensuring common operational planning; promoting constructive liaison between UN agencies, local and international NGOs and government actors; and organizing weekly HCT meetings and regular inter-cluster coordination meetings.

Effective coordination has helped build a strong collective approach, which has proved crucial in identifying priorities for strategic plans (EHAP and CAP). OCHA’s establishment of a monthly Humanitarian Forum and its organization of regular meetings with the national authorities and donors provided a space to discuss key issues, including security concerns.

Working with its partners, OCHA has sought to keep the humanitarian crisis in Cote d’Ivoire in the headlines and raise awareness of the humanitarian work being done in the country. The production of regular bulletins and key messages has kept a strong focus on principal concerns: protection and return issues for vulnerable communities, the importance of humanitarian principles in the context of conflict and division, and the need for proper funding to maintain humanitarian activities and meet continuing needs in Côte d’Ivoire.

OCHA’s products include a 3W matrix, which is updated monthly. OCHA also shares the latest displacement figures, covering returnees and repatriated citizens, and produces maps highlighting this information. OCHA also created a website for humanitarian actors to source this information: http://ivorycoast.humanitarianresponse.info.

During the crisis, humanitarian monitoring exercises were limited due to the immediate humanitarian needs. However, the OCHA-led CAP process at the end of 2011 involved humanitarian actors developing a common logical framework and an activity-monitoring tool, which ensured humanitarian actors monitored at sector and geographical levels.

Côte d’Ivoire is now relatively stable and many displaced people have returned to their homes. However, serious needs remain. Clusters are operational, but there is a strong need to reinforce coordination mechanisms, with priorities carefully targeted.

As normal Government structures return, OCHA is working on a transition plan, outlining the Government’s role and responsibilities as a partner in humanitarian coordination. With Côte d’Ivoire moving away from an emergency status, the focus will shift again to development and early recovery. The HCT will continue to provide strategic direction to the humanitarian community in response and emergency preparedness.

WORKPLAN 2011

GOAL 1: A more enabling environment for humanitarian action.

Objective 1.2 Relationships strengthened with a wider group of operational partners and other relevant actors in advanced humanitarian action.

INDICATOR

Liaison network including Government, military and non-State actors and donors is established. Regular meetings are facilitated.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Full mapping of the coordination mechanisms available (HCT, ICCM, Humanitarian Forum and Government coordination body).
Nine clusters were gradually established at the national level and in western Côte d'Ivoire (CDI).

Contacts with authorities at national and local levels were progressively expanded. Following OCHA advocacy through the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC), the Government appointed State Minister Gilbert Kafana Kone as the main focal point for all humanitarian affairs (Minister Kone is the State Minister for Employment, Solidarity and Social Affairs).

Objective 1.3 Defined roles and responsibilities within OCHA and among international development and humanitarian partners to support governments and regional organizations in response preparedness.

INDICATOR

A realistic contingency plan is in place and preparedness measures are implemented.

ACHIEVEMENTS

In preparation for the legislative elections held on 11 December in CDI, OCHA conducted a comprehensive exercise in setting up the humanitarian contingency plan to prepare assets and actors to assist about 20,000 newly displaced families. The plan was successfully integrated into the ONUCI military strategy to guarantee the security of humanitarian assets and personnel, and to set up mechanisms to support humanitarian efforts if required. In addition, during the electoral period, the OCHA UN-CMCoord Officer was deployed to the ONUCI Crisis Management Center (CMC) to follow up implementation of the plan, and to facilitate information sharing on the security and humanitarian situation between humanitarians and ONUCI. The UN-CMCoord Officer kept ONUCI informed on population displacements and specific protection concerns, and liaised with NGOs and cluster leads on increasing risks and tensions. Fortunately, no major incidents were reported. However, such cooperation was an essential asset in many ways.

HCT is functional, and weekly meetings supporting operational coordination and planning are organized in Abidjan.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The HCT was established in March. Meetings were held twice a month and chaired by the HC. It includes UN agencies, and national and international NGOs. It has also been expanded to donors. Agendas of the HCT meetings in Abidjan were prepared in consultation with the RC/HC and partners. Concept notes and advocacy key messages drafted by OCHA were submitted to the HCT. In Man, OCHA manages the local HCT in consultation with the partners.

The inter-cluster coordination meeting (ICCM) was established in March. Meetings were held weekly and chaired by OCHA. Inter-cluster meetings are held regularly in Abidjan and Man and chaired by OCHA. Agendas of the ICCM meetings are prepared in consultation with the cluster coordinators. Meeting minutes shared and action points followed each week.

INDICATOR

Effective coordination mechanisms are established at sub-national level.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Coordination mechanisms set at the onset of the crisis and adopted in March. The mechanisms were revised in June during the revision of the Flash Appeal (EHAP CDI +4), and in October during the preparation of the CAP 2012, in consultation with the HCT. In Man, the same process was updated accordingly.

Coordination meeting held every two weeks in Guiglo, Duekoue and Toulepleu. All meetings chaired and managed by OCHA.

Action points and meeting minutes were drafted by OCHA and sent to partners. They initially dealt with operational details, but subsequently focused more on key issues and priorities in terms of the orientation of the humanitarian response.

Objective 2.2 An OCHA capable of responding quickly with clear triggers for establishing, phasing and drawing down operations.

INDICATOR

Country Office strategy developed, including planning indicators in consultation with partners and projected multi-year cost planning.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The CAP 2012, including a clear strategy with clear objectives. Each objective has a set of measurable indicators to monitor progress.

Objective 2.3 A more predictable and scalable suite of OCHA services and tools to support leaders and partners in response preparedness, humanitarian response and transition.

INDICATOR

Communication strategy on behalf of the humanitarian community and the HCT is in place. Implementation of communication activities is supported.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Communication strategy elaborated in June and revised in October 2011.

Since October, weekly bulletins and monthly reports are being published and uploaded online (see link below). The 3W database has been finalized and updated regularly since the last quarter of 2011. Population-movement updates and maps were also regularly available to partners. All information and tools developed by OCHA are at: http://ivorycoast.humanitarianresponse.info/

The office did not carry out a survey among partners. The comments made by the latter indicate a high level of satisfaction, particularly in the west where OCHA plays a key role in the dialogue with the local authorities. In Abidjan, partners marked their appreciation for OCHA’s leading role regarding respect by the authorities of displaced people’s rights.

Needs-assessment plan developed and endorsed by HCT by end of second quarter 2011.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Assessment missions were carried out in accordance with defined ToRs. A matrix providing a synthesis of the evaluations (areas assessed, main findings, etc) was put in place.

OCHA developed an operation document that proposes a method and a template for developing an assessment plan.

INDICATOR

80 per cent of projects in the funding mechanism (CAP, ERF) coded with Gender Marker (in accordance with online guidance on OneResponse).

ACHIEVEMENTS

80 per cent of activities carried out in the field are gender sensitive. Most projects in the CAP 2012 are gender marked (75 per cent).

INDICATOR

Percentage of total projects submitted prioritized as “high” in compliance with HCT-endorsed methodology.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Côte d'Ivoire was granted two CERF allocations for a total of $US16.6 million. OCHA provided the necessary support to the RC/HC for the allocation process, the submission of the project to the ERC and the follow-up. Distribution of funds was discussed at HCT level in consultation with partners and focused on life-saving activities. Priorities were set in consultation with the HCT and focused on areas with most urgent needs (100 per cent).